Fuel, hotel, food bills soar as 58,000 wait for power

Frustrated residents want answers

More people's lights are coming back on every day, but many are still out, and frustrations are growing as people spend days in the dark, in hotel rooms, or running their homes on generators. "It's horrible," Ken Friedson of New Paltz said after loading up on bottled water and dry ice at Central Hudson's facility in the Town ...

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By NATHAN BROWN

recordonline.com

By NATHAN BROWN

Posted Nov. 3, 2012 at 2:00 AM

By NATHAN BROWN

Posted Nov. 3, 2012 at 2:00 AM

» Social News

More people's lights are coming back on every day, but many are still out, and frustrations are growing as people spend days in the dark, in hotel rooms, or running their homes on generators.

"It's horrible," Ken Friedson of New Paltz said after loading up on bottled water and dry ice at Central Hudson's facility in the Town of Lloyd.

It was the same story for Donald Boyd of Highland, whose fondest wish couldn't be provided for: a shower.

"I was only out 14 hours during Irene," he said. "This is much worse, but there's not much you can do."

In Orange, Ulster, Sullivan and Pike counties, almost 58,000 people were still in the dark Friday, four days after Hurricane Sandy knocked down trees and power lines throughout the area. Statewide, nearly 1.3 million customers remained without electricity, down from a peak of about 2.2 million Tuesday, mostly in New York City, the Hudson Valley and on Long Island.

Central Hudson says most of the customers still out should have power come back on this weekend, and New York State Electric and Gas says most of their customers should be back on by midnight Sunday, the rest by Wednesday, Nov. 7.

Orange and Rockland said power is back on for about 100,000 of its 240,000 customers who lost power because of the storm. They said the "vast majority" should have their power back on over the next week, and that 90 percent should have service back by Nov. 11. They said they'd have more location-specific estimates next week.

O&R says it works "in a prioritized manner" to address wires down and critical infrastructure, and get the largest groups of customers back on first. Power is back for most people in the urban centers of Middletown and Port Jervis, but some people in more outlying areas are still in the dark and getting sick of it.

Tara Skinner, of Campbell Hall, has been staying with her husband and three children in a motel in the Middletown area since losing power. The bills are mounting as they pay for the room, for food eating out, and gas to drive her children to and from school in Washingtonville every day. She worries about the pipes at her home freezing when it gets colder, and about her children's guinea pigs, who they had to leave behind, and she is frustrated she hasn't been able to get an answer as to when their power will come back on.

"It's really answers we're looking for, and they're not giving them to us," she said.

Many areas are back on, but with pockets of outages. In Port Jervis, the majority of people have power, but there are still areas out, including Orange Street, where 3rd-Ward Councilman Rob Waligroski lives. He said it's been costing him $40 to $45 a day in fuel to run the generator that's kept his house heated and lit and his refrigerator running.

Orange County Executive Ed Diana said he is glad 60 percent of the people in the county who lost power have it back now, but that he understands why people are frustrated.

"Do I wish it was faster? Absolutely," he said. "I think they (O&R) wish it was faster."

The Associated Press and Record reporter Jeremiah Horrigan contributed to this story.

nbrown@th-record.com

Orange County — 33,091 of 98,130 customers

Sullivan County — 5,361 of 8,831 customers

Pike County, Pa. — 644 of 4,470 customers

Restoration estimate: 90 percent by Nov. 11. Next week, the company's website will have more location-specific estimates.

Report an outage: 877-434-4100

Orange County — 178 of 49,157 customers

Sullivan County — 646 of 1,319 customers

Ulster County — 3,953 of 87,860 customers

Restoration estimate: Most by Saturday night, more on Sunday.

Report an outage: 800-527-2714

Orange County — 20 of 5,714 customers

Sullivan County — 13,537 of 41,999 customers

Ulster County — 339 of 5,325 customers

Restoration estimate: Most by midnight Sunday, the rest by midnight Wednesday.